Farrell Sullivan American History II, Malone 23 November 2010 Vietnam The Vietnam War began in November 1955

and was fought between North Vietnam and South Vietnam. The United States and other anti-communist countries fought on South Vietnams side in an effort to prevent communism from taking over South Vietnam. North Vietnam wanted to force South Vietnam and Cambodia into communism and take over South Vietnam and Cambodia and make it one state, Sullivan said. Jack Sullivan, the interviewee, has first-hand knowledge of the Vietnam

War and recalls the non-traditional warfare, life during the war, and the general publics opinion of the United States involvement. The Vietnam War was unlike any war the United States had ever fought. The jungle terrain posed many obstacles for the United States militia. New tactics and strategies had to be devised to acclimate American forces. The terrain was characterized by dense vegetation, swamps, marshes, extreme heat, humidity and the spread of diseases. Sullivan stated that it was not a traditional war, meaning that the battle fronts between the fighting nations werent as distinct as in War World I and II. It was difficult to identify the enemy which caused problems with fighting the war. The historical records correspond with Sullivans statements, in that the dense vegetation hindered visibility, making it difficult to locate the enemy, and the jungle terrain limited

the transportation of resources, troops and air-mobile units. As the war progressed, sophisticated electronics were used, but mostly it was a ground fight with 2 most of the troops on the ground. This type of warfare was new to us, so our strategy was to resort to bombing. We had bombed so much of the area in Vietnam that we began to go back and re-bomb what we had already bombed before. (Sullivan). Entering the war, the United States had the worlds strongest air force, but its abilities were hampered by the jungle terrain. Troops were often hesitant to release fire due to the fear of mistaking the enemy for American troops. This led to the innovation of new technologies such as ground surveillance radars and remote sensors that located enemy forces and maneuvered through the challenging landscape. Life during the war was nerve-racking and tense. For the first time ever, reporters were able to broadcast the war on television and were able to engage in missions alongside American troops. Sullivan estimates approximately 500,000 troops were in Vietnam by the end of the Johnson administration and recalls the fear of being drafted off to war. He states that everyone who signed up with the draft board received a number, 1-300. The lower numbers were drafted first. Deferments were offered to students who attended a 2-4 year school and those with medical issues or a sibling already serving in the war were exempt from the draft. I was at the age where I was eligible to be drafted. Many of my friends were drafted and some didnt come back. I had 4 or 5 friends who were killed in Vietnam and three came back physically injured. Others who werent injured came back with emotional problems and never were quite

the same. (Sullivan). This offers new insight on the extensiveness of the draft and the fear that was put into young men who had the chances of being drafted off to war.

3 The Vietnam War was the longest and most unpopular war of the 20th century. The mass media served as a watchdog for Americans and helped to form the general publics opinion of Vietnam. Sullivan states that initially under President Johnson, it was a noble beginning and most of the nation was behind it. As the war continued, many lost hope in the war. The war lasted too long and as the casualties continued to climb, it caused riots in the streets and a division in the United States between its citizens. Although the war was scorned upon, Sullivan offered a different insight of the United States role in the war. According to Sullivan, The war was not uniquely defined, but the fact that the United States stepped up and fought for the sovereignty of another nation is pretty remarkable. We were willing to shed blood and use our forces for that goal and the Vietnam War had no overall favorable end result other than it re-enforced the United States as a world leader. Sullivan states that post-war, public opinion continued to worsen as the government took little to no role in providing for Vietnam Veterans. Veterans who were either wounded or mentally unstable from the war received little government attention and were often ridiculed by Americans for being baby killers.

Before the interview, all information pertaining to the Vietnam War was impersonal and factual based. The interview provided an insight on how the war affected Americans on a personal level by stories, personal experiences, and their overall stances on the war. One can conclude from the interview that America was being torn apart state due to those opposing the war and those fearing for the safety of 4 the troops . I learned from this project the challenges the soldiers faced in fighting jungle warfare, the effect of the war on American society and the general publics lack of support for the war.

5 Works Cited Sullivan, John J . Personal Interview by Farrell Sullivan. 1 ove!ber "#1#. "# ove!ber "#1#. on$%rint. Simon, Dennis M. "The Vietnam War, 1965-1968." Vietnam War. All Text & Analysis, 22 August 2002. Web. 20 November 2010. http://faculty.smu.edu/dsimon/Change-Viet2.html.